[galute]

Yesterday I was going down the highway in my pickup when I noticed a Hearse coming toward me with a very long line of traffic behind it with their lights on. Like always, I pulled to the side to allow the funeral procession to pass. As I watched them all go by I noticed the only bike was the very last vehicle in the procesion, it was a ragged old rat bike and it was being ridden by the Grim Reaper. Complete with a skeleton mask, black hooded cape and a cycle strapped to his back. As he slowly rode past me he stared me down and waved. I got a chill and had to look away. Would you of waved back?

BTW, Not sure what he was doing, might of been a cruel joke or possibly the guys last wish. But still, it was kinda spooky. I think I will leave my bike parked a day or two.

 

[Brobubba]

Man I am glad ya showed respect and pulled over. You don't want THAT guy mad at you for sure!!!!!! I think I would have been scared to wave back..... even if a joke.

Steve

 

[William Anzik]

I'd have waved. Not knowing the story I'd just wave to be polite.

 

[S&W Winger]

well, I wave at everyone...even dead people! LOL...yes, it was courteous of you to pull over (many people do not nowadays)...but that really is a strange occurance to say the least...

 

[Guest]

yes, it was courteous of you to pull over (many people do not nowadays)

This seems to be a Southern/rural custom...
The first time I went "down south" with my wife (a bama girl) we passed a funeral going the opposite direction on the Selma / Montgomery highway. now if you havent seen this road, its a 55mph, 4 lane divided highway seperated by about 20/25 yards of median between directions. When I drove by in the opposite direction I didnt pull over on the OPPOSITE side of the road from the Funeral.
She went ballistic, no respect, its dangerous, blah blah blah!!
I honestly thought she was NUTS.
On a 2 lane I pulled over but on a 55mph, 4 lane highway with a median....
COME ON. That would be like pulling to the side of the road on the interstate.

Thats one southern tradition I can understand, but its logic is beyond me.
Ok southerners flame me now.

 

[BrianH]

BTW, Not sure what he was doing, might of been a cruel joke or possibly the guys last wish. But still, it was kinda spooky. I think I will leave my bike parked a day or two.

I'd have stared right back at him, and when he saw MY ugly puss, I bet he'd have been shaking in HIS boots. I've seen a lot of scarey looks in my life, but nothing like what I see in the mirror every morning. Hehehehe

I'll wave at anyone on a bike (scoots excepted)..., even little old grannies..., except in Daytona. Too many..., my arm would be worn out.

 

[oldturtle]

Galute. Were you the rider from Bald Knob with picture in Dirt Wheels ATV rag where editor suggested you must be home for all worn out knobby tires. Kinda funny. This will seem like very small world if you are the same man. This was several years ago but the town name just stuck in my tired brain.

 

[Gary in Indiana]

Since he was the last one in the procession, I'd have waived.

As to pulling over for a funeral procession, around here a failure to do so will result in the police escort literally force you over. I saw one motorcycle officer escorting us when we were on a PGR mission take one kid in a mini pickup completely off the road and halfway down a ditch when he didn't pull over on his own. Good, bad or indifferent, our local LEO's take this pretty seriously. :shock: 8)

 

[Dick Fowler]

I've been giving him the "Finger" for years! :lol:

 

[Slinkey]

yes, it was courteous of you to pull over (many people do not nowadays)

This seems to be a Southern/rural custom...
The first time I went "down south" with my wife (a bama girl) we passed a funeral going the opposite direction on the Selma / Montgomery highway. now if you havent seen this road, its a 55mph, 4 lane divided highway seperated by about 20/25 yards of median between directions. When I drove by in the opposite direction I didnt pull over on the OPPOSITE side of the road from the Funeral.
She went ballistic, no respect, its dangerous, blah blah blah!!
I honestly thought she was NUTS.
On a 2 lane I pulled over but on a 55mph, 4 lane highway with a median....
COME ON. That would be like pulling to the side of the road on the interstate.

Thats one southern tradition I can understand, but its logic is beyond me.
Ok southerners flame me now.

No flame but we true Southern folks do pull over even on the interstate.

 

[biker1usa]

I would have waved. I ain't skeered.

 

[UPCruiser]

I would have waved; might have even made the sign of the cross while doing it!

 

[jjsC6]

I'd have given him the finger :lol: :lol: :lol:

Okay, I really would not have, but I still think its a funny idea.

Yes, I would have waved - I'm just like that. I even wave at motorcycle cops. I have actually have had two wave to me - one before I even waved to him!

 

[Defiant077]

RE: Would You Have Waved

I probably would not have waved and I would not have pulled off the road either unless directed by the LEO if one was leading the escort.

I was born in Florida and have lived here most of my life. I am a retired Florida LEO and rode police bikes for 5 years. Funeral escorts were one of the most dangerous duties we had to perform. We were constantly dodging cars trying to beat the light or cut through. We had two officers get pretty banged up due to funeral escorts. We all felt that it was a tradition that time had passed. There are too many cagers and too many nitwits driving to do these things safely. Most police departments and city governments have a tendency not to take care of their officers that are injured in the line of duty and sustain lasting injuries.

Besides, why should we perform a service that the funeral home is charging the families for and keeping the money? Pay respect at the funeral home, church, or grave side. I don't believe you need to make a spectacle of someone's death with a long funeral procession that creates more safety issues than it is worth.

 

[laen]

I pull over. It is a sign of resect in the south. If the grim reaper waved I may have passed on the wave.

 

[salyzyn]

Would You Have Waved

I wave at anything with bugs in their teeth!

I was born in Florida and have lived here most of my life.

Sorry to hear that :twisted:

Besides, why should we perform a service that the funeral home is charging the families for and keeping the money?

A touchy subject, but in my grief I would be glad to pay the LEO's for motorcycle escort separately. It is a shame that the Funeral Homes have not been passing a part of their take to the color guard.

I know that off-duty cops are paid by the organizations for additional security.

 

[MesquiteBob]

While riding the scooter the other day - there! That makes it motorcycle related. Anyway, got to thinking about what the American (and European) deal is about the bodies of dead people. If you are a Christian (and perhaps some other religions), we believe that the spirit and soul has left the body, and, according to Scripture, it will return to dust (see Genesis 3). So it must not be the body we are honoring, but perhaps the life that was lived in that body. As we believe every human being has worth, then we should render honor to all people in one way or another.

Programs like CSI and its ilk have dehumanized the body so it represents nothing more than a slab of flesh to be studied in order to derive some forensic truth. As far as I'm concerned, once I've passed on, I have no further use for this body and couldn't care less what happens to it. And to make sure there's no fuss over it, I have instructed my heirs (heirs of what?) to cremate it. If someone wants to hold a memorial service to allow folks to come to grips with my death, fine - but I really don't care what they do to my body - I will have no further use of it.

My instinct is to pull over and sit or stand at attention when a funeral procession goes by. However, I would be careful to make sure it is safe to do so. Not everyone is so inclined.

Mesquite Bob

 

[Defiant077]

RE: Would You Have Waved

You wouldn't believe some of the stuff that these funeral homes charge for and try to and often get away with. Having had to do these funeral escorts we often found ourselves sitting around waiting for the escort to begin and would chat with the staff. To them it is all about the money, from the highly overpriced caskets to charging for the actual escort whether it is used or not. I firmly believe based on what I have experienced is that most if not all funeral homes take advantage of the families' grief, and getting all they can while folks are vulnerable.

There seems to me to be a big difference in showing respect of someone's passing as opposed to making a show of it. Keep it dignified and simple is always the best and more respectful. IMHO.

 

[Falcon Wing]

I dated a mortician for a while.....she had a deep freezer in one of her basement bedroom closets...I never had the courage to look in it.

 

[Steve Smith]

Just when ya thought you'd seen it all huh? I'd have given him a courteous nod, nothing more.